streetcar

Etymology

 * this compound noun was formed in an era when motorcars didn't yet exist, and it emphasized a type of car on rails that were in the street (along with foot traffic, wagons, and carriages) rather than on a separate, dedicated railroad, as a (so-named) railcar is.

Noun

 * 1)  A tram or light rail vehicle, usually a single car, but also attached together, operating on city streets. A trolley car.